African Champions League
national league - Congo DR - stampede in Kinshasa, officials say

A stampede at a football match in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, officials say.

Reports say the trouble began after police fired tear gas in the crowded stadium, causing panic. At least 15 people have been killed and more than 20 people were injured. Local fans were unhappy after the home team, ASV Club, were defeated 1:0 by Tout Puissant Mazembe from Lubumbashi. Stampedes are a frequent occurrence at mass events in the country

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12 May 2014
National teams Squad Stars in Europe
stars in Europe - Uche not angry at Nigeria World Cup snub

The Villarreal striker was not picked by Keshi, despite scoring 12 goals in the Spanish top flight this season. Uche has not played for his country since they won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last year. The 30-year-old insists, however, that he holds no grudges against Keshi. "Of course as a professional footballer you'd love to represent your country, but I have never had bad words towards the national coach," Uche is widely regarded as one of Nigeria's most reliable strikers at international level and is one of his nation's all-time top scorers, with 18 goals in 45 appearances, behind Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami and Yakubu Aiyegbeni. 

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10 May 2014
Featured Legends
LEGENDS - ‪‪FRANCE - ‪Thierry Henry‬ - the top-scorer

Thierry Daniel Henry, born 17 August 1977, is a French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. In July 2008, Arsenal fans voted him as Arsenal's greatest player ever in Arsenal.com's Gunners' Greatest 50 Players poll. At Barcelona, Henry was given the number 14 jersey, the same as he had worn at Arsenal. 

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8 May 2014
International Player National teams Squad World Cup 2014
2014 World Cup - squad - Shola Ameobi in provisional Nigeria squad

Stoke striker Peter Odemwingie and Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi are in Nigeria's provisional 30-man World Cup squad for Brazil 2014.

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7 May 2014
Featured FIFA 100 Key-Player Legends
LEGENDS - ‪‪FRANCE - Patrick Vieira‬‬

He has 107 caps for France, and was part of their 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning sides, as well as their runner-up finish in the 2006 World Cup. Vieira is currently Football Development Executive at Manchester City with a role to oversee aspects such as youth development, commercial partners and the club's social responsibility programme, "City in the Community".

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5 May 2014
Club Stars in Europe Transfers
stars in Europe - Wilfried Bony - Ivory Coast striker happy at Swansea City

The Ivorian has scored 24 goals in all competitions since joining the Swans from Vitesse Arnhem for a club-record fee of £12m last summer. Bony, 25, has been the bright spot in a disappointing Premier League season. 

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4 May 2014
Coaches National teams
NATIONAL TEAM - MOROCCO - COACH - former player Badou Zaki confirmed as new coach

Zaki takes charge of the Atlas Lions for the second time in his career.

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3 May 2014
African Confederation Cup Club Coaches
club - coaches - Youssef resigns as Al Ahly coach

Al Ahly has accepted the resignation of coach Mohamed Youssef on Thursday. Youssef had been in charge of Al Ahly since May last year following the resignation Hossam El Badry.

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2 May 2014
African Champions League Club Featured Transfers
African Champions League 2014 - Katumbi wants European-style investment

He believes that such a boost in finances will also mean more African players staying to play on the continent. "We are trying to offer the best things that we have to our players - it's really tough in Africa to maintain a club," he said. "I think the day African players remain on the continent, then Africa can win the World Cup.

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1 May 2014
African Champions League National League
African Champions League 2014 - DR Congo rivals drawn together

TP Mazemebe, runners-up in last year's Confederation Cup, and AS Vita Club are fierce rivals

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30 Apr 2014
African Champions League

African Champions League 2014 - group stage - 2nd matches - fixtures

Democratic Republic of Congo rivals AS Vita Club and TP Mazembe will meet this weekend in a Champions League tie only two weeks after their last match ended in tragedy. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede at the sides' league match at the Tata Raphael Stadium in Kinshasa. The Confederation of African Football has expressed its deepest sympathy to the families of the deceased but the governing body has put no specific security measures in place for Sunday's game in Lubumbashi.

While Mazembe were 1:0 winners in that fateful league match, clinching the league title in the process, the club are bottom of their Champions League group and AS Vita are top after the first matchday. Vita beat Egyptians Zamalek 1:0, while Mazembe fell 1-0 to Al Hilal of Sudan. It means there is a lot at stake on and off the pitch for the teams, who will each be keen for a victory and a peaceful event.

Those opening results also mean the pressure is on Zamalek as they face Al Hilal in the weekend's other Group A tie. But Zamalek coach Mido remains confident, telling reporters: ""We will not drop any points during the coming games." He also wrote on Twitter: "I am betting on us qualifying from this group and reaching the final after a lengthy absence."

The last of Zamalek's five African triumphs came 12 years ago when they edged Moroccans Raja Casablanca 1:0 over two legs. Hilal will be wary of Moemen Zakariya, the leading Zamalek scorer in Africa this season with three goals. No Sudanese has scored more than once, but Mido must have noted the aerial strength of Salah Al-Jazouli, which brought him the winner against Mazembe.

Tunisians Esperance , favourites to win Group B and go on to secure a third title, suffered a shock 2:1 home defeat against Algerians Entente Setif last weekend. They travel to Sudanese city Omdurman for the match against Al Ahli Benghazi, who cannot play at home because of civil unrest. Haythem Jouini of Esperance and Zimbabwe-born Edward Sadomba of Benghazi have scored 10 Champions League goals between them this season.

The other fixture pits Setif against Tunisians CS Sfaxien in a top-of-the-table.

 

23 May 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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